Railway-crossing gate



March 10, 1931.

A. ROHALY I 1,796,164

RAILWAY GROSS ING GATE Filed Sept. 16, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l Andremdohd/y ,5? 43 March 10, 1931.

A. ROHALY RAILWAY cnossme GATE Filed Sept-Q 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March10, 1931.

A. ROHALY RAILWAY CROSS ING GATE I I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 16,1929 Patented Mar. 10, 1931 TUNITIED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANDREWROI-IALY, OF HARDIEV'ILLE, ALBERTA, CANADA RAILWAY-CROSSING GATEApplication filed SeptemberlG, 1929, Serial No. 393,035, and in CanadaJuly 20, 1929.

' This present invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsin a railway crossing gate.

The primary object of the invention resides 6 in the provision of arailway crossing gate which will be positively operated by a locomotiveor the like approaching the crossing from either direction p Anotherobject of the invention resides in 1 the provision of a railwayhorizontally swinging crossing gate ofthe character stated which will beautomatically closed as the locomotive or the like approaches thecrossing from either direction and again automati- 1'5 cally opened asthe locomotive leaves the crossing, travelling from the same in eitherdirection along the track.

A further object of the invention resides in theprovision of a railwayhorizontally 0 crossing gate of the character stated which will beautomatically actuated by means carried by the locomotive to actuatecontrolling mechanism located along the track at either side of thecrossing. r I

A still further-object of the invention resides in the provision of arailway crossing gate of the character stated in which horizontallyswinging gate for the opposite approaohes to the crossing will beoperated simultaneously and horizontally swung to closed or openedposition in a positive manner as the locomotive approaches and movesaway from the crossing.

The invention has for a stillfurther object the provision of a railwaycrossing gate of the character stated which is of extremely simple andinexpensive construction and operation as well as highlyeflicient andaccurate and completely automatic in its operation. The invention hasfor a still further object the provision of a railway crossing-gate ofthe character stated which may be installed at small cast and maintainedin efiicient operation at the minimum expenditure of time, labourformoney, thus providing a proposition which is extremelyattractive torailway companies,'government oflicials and the public 'in general.

Tothe accomplishment of these and related objects as shall becomeapparent as the description proceeds my invention resides in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall beherelnafter more fully described, illustrated 1n the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly describedwhen reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

In the draw1ngs:

Figure 1 is a plan view, showing the arthe crosslng;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1,

showing the horizontally swinging gate members in closed position and alocomotive ready '7 to move away from the crossing and cause automaticopening of the gate members;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section, taken substantially on theplane of line 3-8 of Figure 1, looking cated by the arrows;

in the direct-ion indiand Figure 4 is a detail transverse section,showmg the actuating means, carried by the locomotive for actuatingmembers for the gate operating mechanism.

the fulcrumed control Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1t 1S tobe noted that a transverse control rod 6 is carried by the locomotive orthe like,

with a control roller either end thereof, 0

7 rotatably carried at utwardly of the main rails 8 of the track andabove the same. As

the locomotive appro roller 8 at one end en reversely bevelled in achesthe crossing, the gages and rides on the ner side wall or face 9 of theelongated actuating bar 10 which is located at the side of intermediateits ends the track and mounted on the upstanding fulcrum bolt 11. Thiswall or'face 9 of the bar 10 is bevelled outwar dly from its centretoward its opposite end, thus providing a bar 10 which constantlyincreases in width from its centre toward its opposite end, although itsouter side wall or a plane parallel to the nal axis of the bar face isstraight and in plane of the longitudi- 10. Connected to the cars 12 onthe end of the bar 10 nearer to the railway crossing13, is one end ofthe flexible cable 14, which extends around guide rollers 15 arrangedadjacent the side of the track and then connectswith the main sectionalcable 16 which extends and is attached to large pulley wheel 17 on theupstanding shaft 18 for one'of the horizontally swinging gate members19, which latter are arranged at either approach to the railwaycrossing. The horizontally swinging gate members 19 are arranged atopposite sides of the track, adjacent the crossing 13 and each includesspaced depending flexible straps 20 so as to prevent in ury to persons,animals or the like near the'crossing when the horizontaliy swinginggate members 19 are closed;

The upstanding shaft 18 for the horizontally swinging gate members 19are connected by the transverse connecting bar 21 having its oppositeends pivoted to the radially extended arms 22 providedncar the bottom ofthe upstanding shafts 18. These upstanding shafts 18 extend throughsupporting and bracing brackets 23 and have their lower ends rotatablymounted in appropriate bearings 24; within the housings 25 which alsoenclose the arms 22 of the upstanding standards 18; A transverse housing26 is also provided between the housings 25 to enclose and protect'theconnecting rod 21. for the upstanding shafts 18 of therhorizontallyswinging gate members 19. This housing 2.6 extendstransversely beneaththe-track rails so as to prevent interference with the travel of therolling stock over the track. Extended from the remainingor outer endsof the bars 10, are ears 27 with which are connected the flexible cables28 passed around guide rollers 29 and then connected and attached to theother or remaining end of the main flexible cables 16,

' oppositethefartheSt connection of the cables 14. with said fie xiblecable 16. It is thus apparent that the bars 10 operatetogether as one isactuated to either open or close the horizontally swinging gate members19, according to the movement and direction of travel of the locomotiveor othermember carrying' the control bar 6, with respect to'thecrossing13; I

" As the. construction of the device-has thus I been described indetail, brief reference is now had to its use and'modus operandii Theactuating bars 10 are normally in theposition shown in Figure 1, that isWltll the ends nearest the crossing 13 located near the side of :thetrack while their opposite'o'r outer ends are in their outermostpositions with respect j to'the side of the track. Thus, a. locomotiveapproaching the crossing from either direction will move toward thecrossing unti'lthe roller 8 on that end of thecontrol rod '1 directedtoward the side of the track on which the actuating bars 10 are locatedreaches a position oppos te the fulcrumed centre of sides of the trackthe first actuating bar 10. The roller Swill then act upon the otherhalf of the bevelled face 9 or of said actuating bar 10 and force thesame outwardly, turning the actuating bar 10 on its fulcrum boltfll.This causes actuation of the cable 14 connected to said ends of theactuating bar 10 and results in operation of therewith, as well ascompelling rotation of the upstandingshafts'18,-for swinging the gatemembers 19 horizontally toward the to close said gate members 19. Thus,it will be seen that both ofthe gate members 19 will be automaticallyswung the main flexible cable 16 and all of the other cables 14 and 28connected" horizontally to closed position in unison and the.actuatingbars 10 will also be correspondinglyoperated to reverse theposition of the inclined end portion thereof. As the locomotivecontinues its movement and crosses the crossing 18 and moves away fromthe same, the roller 8 will in turnpass the outwardly swung end of theother actuating bar 10 and then operate upon the remaining end or halfof the second actuating bar 10 to swing the second actuatingbar 1O injareverse direction on its fulcrum bolt 11. This results in the returningof all the cables 14 and 28' together with the main sectional cables 1.6to their normal positi ons,'thus re versing the rotation of theupstanding standards 18 and the horizontal swingingof the gate members19 and reopening the latter, in unison. The 'operationisentirelyautomatic and the horizontally swinging; gate members 19 will beclosed in unison as a train approaches from either directionand thenautomatically opened'in unison as the train leaves the crossing andmoves either way from the same. Owing to the control bar 7 having 'aroller 8 at eitherend, the roller 8 at one end functions when thelocomotive is moving in one direction on the track and the roller 8 attheother end of the control bar 7 functions whenthe locomotive'moves inthe other direction on the track, that is, when the locomotive is turnedaround or re versed iii'its position with respect to the crossing 13. Itis also to'be noted that no electrical current or other power isrequired for the'railway crossing gates when they are not beingoperated. V V V From the foregoing description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a railway crossinggate isprovided that will fulfill all the necessary requirements of sucha device but as many changes could be made in the above description andmany apparently widely different embodiments of my invention may beconstructed within the scope of the appended cla'imswithout' departingfrom the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matterscontained in the said accompanying specification and drawings, shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l. A railway crossing gate includinghorizontal swinging gate members each composed of a horizontal bar andflexible straps depending in spaced relation therefrom; rotatableupstanding shafts having limited rotation in either direction and eachsupporting thereon an end of the horizontal bar of one of said gatemembers; link connections between the lower ends of said shafts toassure operation of said shafts in unison in opposite directions; anelongated actuating bar arranged along the railway track to either sideof the railway crossing; each of said elongated actuating bars havingits edge facing thera-ilway track bevelled from each end inwardly towardthe centre thereof, said actuating bars being fulcrumedat their centralpoints; and flexible operating means connected with either end of eachof said actuating bars and operatively connected with one of said shaftsto cause operation of the latter and horizontal swinging of said gatemembers toward the railway crossing and across the approaches thereto asa train approaches the crossing from either direction and reverseoperationof said shafts and said gate members as the train leaves thecrossing after passing over the same.

2. A railway crossing gate including a pair of upstanding shaftsarranged to the side of each approach to the railway crossing; a gatemember mounted on the upper end of each of said shafts and including ahorizontal arm and flexible straps depending from the latter in spacedrelation; a link connection extending beneath the track between thelower ends of said shaft; said link connection being oppositelyconnected to the said shaft to cause a reverse movement of the latter; apulley wheel carried on the lower end of one of said shafts; aloopedflexible member extending around and attached to said pulley wheel; thesaid looped flexible member having each end divided into a pair ofbranches extended in arcuate directions along the railway track; and apair of elongated actuating bars fulcrumed at their centres adjacent oneside of the track and on opposite sides of the crossing; one branch ofeach of the ends of said looped flexible member being attached to theendof one of the elongated actuating bars nearer to the crossing, whilethe other branch of each end of said looped flexible member beingattached to the far end of one of said elongated actuating bars; andguide means for the branches of the said looped flexible members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

FL. sl

ANDREW ROHALY.

